Plaited product and method of forming the same



Dec. 19-, 1939. P, TRUBITZ 2,183,828

PLAITED PRODUCT AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Original Filed 001;. 25, 1957 MPH/LIP HuB/Tz M,M@

' flzwvze a Patented Dec.19, 1939 PATENT. OFFICE PIAITED PRODUCT AND METHOD OF I FORMING THE SAME Philip Trubitz, Chicago, m, ,assignor to Sam Pass, ChlcagoJll.

Application October 25, 1937, Serial No. 170,744 Renewed May 15, 1939 Claims. (Cl. 155-182) knitted fabric such as jersey material and is selected because of its stretchability in making covers which are stretched relatively tightly over the articles of furniture, it will be apparent that. if the plaits are stretched, they will be opened up or will be pulled out and lose the neat ornamental eifect which they are intended to provide. Slip covers of the stretchable knitted material mentioned are usually made undersize, that is, of a size which requires stretching in varying degrees in fitting the same to articles of furniture of different size. Since such stretching of the coveris necessary in fitting the same snugly to an article of furniture, it has been found practically impos sible to provide such ready-made covers for fitting articles of different sizes, styles and designs with plaits which are attached at the factory due to the fact that stretching the plaits causes them to be opened and lose their intended neat ornamental appearance. Plaits in strip form therefore have been provided with such slip covers after the latter have been properly adjusted on furniture such as chairs or davenports.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of attaching plaits or plaited strips to stretchable fabric articles which are intended to be stretched during use but which plaits, when so attached, will retain substantially their original shape while permitting the fabric to which they are attached to be distended.

A further object of the invention is to provide articles of stretchable fabric having plaits attached thereto which permit the fabric to stretch in the direction of the plaits without effecting disarray of the latter.

In the following description of the invention and in the accompanying drawing, the improvements are exemplified by reference to a furniture slip cover but it will be apparent that the invention is not necessarily limited to such product nor to the method of making it.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional club chair having a slip cover thereon formed of Slip covers made stretchy jersey-like knitted material and provided with a plaited ornamental strip at the lower edge;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary 'view of a portion of stretchy material and an elastic band attached to one edge of the material while the band is in b stretched or distended relation;

Fig. 3 is a broken perspective view of a piece of material after the band has been permitted to contract;

Fig. 4 is a broken perspective view of a plaited in strip of the type generally attached to the bottom edges of furniture slip covers and used also in the making of garments, for example;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the relation of a plaited strip to the elastic attached edge of a 15 piece of stretchable fabric while the latter only is distended during stitching of the plaits thereto;

Fig. 6 is a broken perspective View of a plaited strip and attached elastic fabric after completion of the stitching of the two together and permit- 20 ting the elastic to contract; and

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 1 and showing the construction of the seam between the upper edge of a plaited strip and the lower edge of the elastic inserted stretchable fab: ric of the slip cover.

In the drawing, Ill indicates generally a conventional club chair having thereon a slip cover indicated generally by the numeral l l which is made vof a knitted jersey-like material which is 30 stretchable in the direction of its length as well as in the direction of its width. The particular construction of the slip cover other than the method of attaching the cover proper to the bottom plaited strip indicated at i2 is not particularly 35 pertinent to this invention.

The slip cover illustrated is of unitary construction, that is, a so-calledone-piece cover in which the arm sections l3 are attached to a front drop or portion l4 and to side panels [5 as well as to the 40 portion l6 which encloses the back of the chair. The cushioncover I! generally is made asa sepa* rate envelope for enclosing the cushion. The lower depending portion of the cover adjacent the bottom of the chairhas the plaited strip i2 45 attached thereto for the purpose of giving the cover a finished and ornamental appearance. Covers formed of such stretchy material mentioned are usually formed somewhat under size and are stretched over the chair to provide a 50 smooth neat fit. Since such covers are intended to fit chairs of different sizes, a particular cover placed upon a chair or article of furniture will be stretched differently than if placed upon a chair of different proportions. Such stretch may take 55 place both vertically or longitudinally of the pertions of the cover.

It will be seen that if a plaited strip such as is shown in Fig. 4 is merely stitched to the bottom edge of a slip cover, the longitudinal stretching of the cover along the seam will cause the plaits to open up and lose their original neat regular appearance. To avoid such disarray of plaits when a cover is stretched upon a chair as mentioned, the portion of the cover to which the plaits are to be attached are first provided with an elastic band l8 at their inner surface. In attaching the band ID to the portion of the cover i0 which may be along the lower edge of the latter, the band is stretched out as the stitches 19 are made so that when the stitching is completed, the band will contract and produce a gathered eiTect as shown at 20 in Fig. 3. The stitches preferably employed are serge stitches which enable the material to stretch without likelihood of breaking the stitches.

When the edge of the cover has been provided with an elastic inserted hem shown in Fig. 3, the plaited strip I2 is attached thereto on the side of the cover l0 opposite the strip It. -In attaching theplaited strip i2 to the elastic inserted hem of the fabric ill. the elastic is folded upwardly to the inside of the fabric and the upper edge of indicated generally by the numeral 22 having nounfinished edge and of a rather inconspicuous welt-like appearance on the outer surface, the elastic and the upper edge of the strip being disposed on the inner surface of the cover. During the formation of the stitches 2|, the material It) mentof the plaited strip i2 is completed and the elastic strip I8 is permitted to contract, the

plaits are also brought closer together and the material along the seam is somewhat shirred or gathered as indicated at 20 in Figs. 3- and 6- Since the total length of the seam 22 in a finished cover formed of the stretchy material mentioned will be less than the perimeter of the base of any chair which such cover will fit properly, the seam will be stretched necessarily as the cover is adjusted in position on an article of furniture.

As the seam 22 stretches from the shirred or gathered relation of Fig. 6, the plaits of the strip i2 assume their original position and retain that position notwithstanding that the seam 22 may be ,stretched as far as will be permitted by the elastic strip i8 which, during the attachment of theplaits to the hem by the line of stitching I9 I to fit will still be great enough to require the stretching of the seam 22 a distance sufficient to remove the shirring 20 whereby the cover will present a neat appearance. Due to the attachment of the plaited strip to the hem of the cover i0 while such hem is stretched at least as great an extent as it will be stretched in fitting a chair of maximum perimeter the plaits will not be pulled out when the cover is adjusted to an article of furniture but will hang with their edges in substantially their original form as illustrated in Fig. 1.

While I have shown the invention as embodied in a slip cover of stretchable material, it will be apparent that the method of attachment herein disclosed is not necessarily limited to such art.

I claim:

1; The method of making a fabric product having an attached plaited strip along an edge thereof which comprises stitching to said edge an elastic band while such band is in stretched or distended condition, and thereafter stitching a plaited strip to said edge while said edge and band are in distended condition. y

2. The method of making a fabric product having an attached plaited strip which comprises stitching to the fabric a stretched or distended elastic band and thereafter stitching a plaited strip to the fabric along said band. while said band and adjacent portion of the fabric are in distended or stretched condition.

3. The method of making a fabric product having an attached plaited strip which comprises stitching to the unstretched fabric an elastic band while the latter is in distended condition, and thereafter stitching'a plaited strip in unstretched condition to said band and attached portion of the fabric while said band and said portion of the fabric are distended to approximately the maximum extent of their stretch-' ability.

4. A furniture slip cover of stretchy fabric having originaldimensions at its lower end less than the dimensions of the corresponding portion of the article to be' covered thereby whereby said lower end of said cover must be stretched over the article, and anunstretched plaited strip attached permanently toa lower' portion of the cover. I and of' such length as to enable said lower cover portion to stretch horizontally an extent required in fitting the same to an article while said plaited strip remains in unstretched condition.

5. A furniture slip cover of stretchy fabric having originaldimensions at its lower and less than the dimensions of the correspondig portion of the article to be covered thereby whereby said lower end of said cover must be stretched in fitting the same to an article, said lower portion of the cover having an elastic band thereon which limits the stretching of the lower end of the cover, and a band of plaits attached to said lower end and to said elastic band, said band of plaits being of such length that the plaits remain in un-open relation when said elastic band and lower end of the cover are distended beyond said original dimensions upon an article of furniture.

PHILIP TRUBITZ. 

